New Pitsligo man walks daughter down the aisle thanks to organ donation

Sean O’Neil

A New Pitsligo man who underwent a liver transplant so he could walk his daughter down thew aisle has backed a new organ door campaign.

Graham Fraser, 50, had his third liver transplant in April in time to give away his daughter Stacie Simpson on her big day.

Graham is now lending his support to the We Need Everybody campaign which aims to increase the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Scotland.

Graham said: “I owe that person everything. Their decision has given me and perhaps two or three other people a second chance at life.

“Because of that selfless decision, I got to walk my daughter down the aisle and hopefully have years of good health ahead of me.

“It’s unbelievable what organ donors do for others, and I just hope their families can draw some comfort from that through their grief.”

Graham was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in 1997 – a condition which would lead to the father of two needing three liver transplants.

After Graham’s first transplant in June 1998 he developed chronic rejection, and had a second transplant in September 1998 which gave him many years of improved health, until his PSC came back in 2015, affecting his liver function once again.

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Public Health and Sport said: “The reality is that there are more people waiting for an organ transplant than there are suitable donors.

“Last year in Scotland 35 people died waiting on a vital organ transplant, and for the 540 people currently listed for transplant, the wait goes on.”